THE STATE AND PRIVATE OWNERS 243 



cheap and suitable trees ; and in both of these directions 

 minicipil, district, and county authorities can do much 

 good if they go about it in the right way. The main 

 point is to avoid unnecessary expense and waste, and to 

 ensure that the expenditure of public money is confined 

 to work which the individual cannot do for himself. The 

 county authorities, if required, can give advice and instruc- 

 tion in the planting of trees, and arrange for having the 

 difficulties removed for obtaining them in a fit condition 

 to plant. The former can be provided by instruction in 

 arboriculture, just as instruction in agriculture or horti- 

 culture is provided in most districts now. The latter, 

 without which instruction is more or less useless, can be 

 best provided by a compromise between the commercial 

 nursery as it at present exists, and special depots for grow- 

 ing on trees to the required size and quality demanded 

 by the conditions under which they have to be planted. 

 With the training now available for practical foresters in 

 England, Scotland, and Ireland, there should be little 

 difficulty in getting men fully qualified to act as in- 

 structors and demonstrators, and one or two of such 

 men in each county would not be a serious drain on 

 its resources. A precedent for their employment has 

 already been provided in connection with agriculture, 

 horticulture, bee-keeping, butter-making, and dozens of 

 other industries no more important in a general way 

 than tree-planting. A little extension of the encourage- 

 ment given so freely to the above branches of rural 

 economy, therefore, would not be unreasonable. 



The growing of trees by public authorities is a more 

 startling innovation, but one which would be absolutely 

 necessary if success is to be achieved. By the establishment 

 of depots or stocks of trees from which the small planter 

 can supply his needs in small quantities as required, and 

 without their having to undergo the weakeninjr and 



